When people have celiac disease (an immune reaction to gluten that occurs in your small intestine eventually preventing the absorption of key nutrients) or wheat allergies (an immune reaction to proteins in wheat leading to symptoms such as nausea, breathing difficulties, hives and anaphylaxis), gluten must be totally avoided. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley and rye and is commonly found in a wide majority of breads, cereals and packaged goods. Even soy sauce contains gluten. A colleague of mine's wife suffered from celiac. She eliminated all forbidden foods only to find that her lipstick contained gluten! Eliminating this protein from your world is extremely difficult.

Gluten Free Products

More and more gluten free products are hitting the market. The tortillas used in this recipe are made from the gluten free whole grains teff and millet. Unlike some gluten free tortillas, they are very pliable and heat nicely. They are made by La Tortilla Factoryand can be purchased at many stores throughout the country.

Burritos

Burritos are fun to make. They are a whole meal and there are endless combinations of food groups that can be part of a healthy burrito. In this recipe, I use a combination of sweet potatoes, yellow onions, black beans, lots of garlic and avocado. The result is a colorful dish packed with phytochemicals, vitamins and minerals as well as fiber and protein. Each burrito provides over 15 grams of fiber (half your daily requirement) and 11 grams of protein. It is also cholesterol free and low in saturated fat. For added health benefits, top with tomato salsa which contains lycopene, a potent antioxidant.

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Chipotle Sweet Potato, Black Bean and Avocado Burritos

[serves 4]

4 wheat and gluten free wraps (10" tortillas)

4 cups peeled and diced sweet potatoes (1 very large)

3 cups peeled and diced yellow onions (1 large)

1 tablespoon chopped garlic (3 cloves)

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons chili powder

1/4 teaspoon spicy chipotle powder (or to taste)

1/2 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)

1 (15 oz.) can organic black beans

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 medium avocado, diced

Tomato salsa (optional)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Combine sweet potatoes, onions, garlic, olive oil, chili powder, chipotle powder and salt in a shallow roasting pan and mix well until the potatoes are well coated. Bake for 20 minutes, turn mixture with a spatula and bake another 20 minutes. While the potatoes are cooking, heat the black beans in a small pan and stir in the cumin powder. Remove potatoes from oven and drain the beans. Heat the wraps (tortillas) until they are soft and pliable by tossing them over a flame, or in a hot grill or in a microwave for a minute covered with a towel (sorry to those of you who hate microwaves but many people still use them). Place the tortilla in a plate and fill the middle with 1/4 of the potato mixture and beans. Top with some avocado and fold up into a burrito. Top with tomato salsa if desired and serve immediately.